Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "muryar ciki" tana nufin tsarin da gland ko gaba da ke cikin jiki ke fitar da hormone ko wani sinadari kai tsaye zuwa cikin jini, inda zai iya shafar gabobin jiki daban-daban da nama a cikin jiki. Ana amfani da wannan kalmar sau da yawa dangane da tsarin endocrin, wanda ya haɗa da glandan kamar su pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, da pancreas, da sauransu, waɗanda ke samarwa da sakin hormones waɗanda ke tsara ayyuka daban-daban na jiki. Kalmar “sirrin ciki” kuma wani lokaci ana amfani da ita tare da kalmar “ secretion endocrine.”